Hydrogel Thermostat Inspired by Photoprotective Foliage Using Latent and Radiative Heat Control
Plants such as Populus alba feature photoprotective foliage that dynamically modulates optical properties to dissipate excessive heat under high temperatures, while condensation-induced latent heating preserves warmth under cold conditions-enabling tolerance to fluctuating thermal and hydric environments. Inspired by this natural strategy, a hydrogel-based thermostat is presented that balances latent and radiative heat fluxes. The system integrates lithium ions and hydroxypropyl cellulose into a polyacrylamide matrix, providing dynamic solar reflectance, high infrared emissivity, and reversible water sorption-desorption capabilities. Thermochromic and hygroscopic responses are tunable via adjustments in hydroxypropyl cellulose and lithium ions concentrations, allowing environment-specific adaptation. Mechanical robustness is enhanced by incorporating titanium dioxide nanoparticles and applying surface treatments. Experiments and simulations demonstrate both sub-ambient cooling and above-ambient heating across diverse conditions, establishing the system as an all-season thermal regulation platform.
Authors
- Jyotirmoy Mandal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8124-5234)
- Hyunkyu Kwak (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4484-5470)
- Hyung Rae Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6576-9457)
- Dong Hyun Seo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0644-6383)
- Young Min Song (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4473-6883)
- Sehui Chang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2216-0166)
- Longnan Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0225-3303)
- Yoonsoo Shin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-9791-8079)
- Hyun Su Lee
- Joo Hwan Ko (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8129-4319)
- Se‐Yeon Heo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0513-5866)
- Wei Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8297-130X)
- Min Seok Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7092-5429)
- Do Hyeon Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1182-7380)
- Hyo Eun Jeong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-1555-9303)
- Dae‐Hyeong Kim
Institutions
- Seoul National University (KR)
- Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KR)
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- Princeton University (US)
- Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (KR)
- Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics (CN)
- Institute for Basic Science (KR)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Materials
- Published
- 2025-11-04
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202516537
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Thermal Radiation and Cooling Technologies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.95
Funders
- National Research Foundation
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy
- National Research Foundation of Korea
- Institute for Basic Science
- Ministry of Science and ICT, South Korea